FEEDING THE BIRDS

Birds are sometimes given a bad rap, with all that talk about them being dinosaurs, and then there's the Alfred Hitchcock movie, and if you live in a city with pigeons, which have been compared to rodents, and all that poop!

But the fact is that attracting birds and providing them with means for a healthy habitat is a very useful thing. There are some great reasons to attract birds and provide them with healthy habitat, including 'helping bring nature back into balance', increasing the bird population, and insect pest control', says www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com.

Bird populations have decreased significantly in recent years. The most obvious reason is the pervasiveness of concrete in our modern world. By providing feed, we can help birds thrive! You can put out bird feeders, or just get a big bag of feed and dish out a scoop onto your yard every now and then. As more birds come to your yard to feed, they will be returning frequently, eating the insects as well as the feed. Eventually you will experience decreased need for chemicals to maintain the healthy vegetation and appearance of your yard.

Black oil sunflower seed is the feed to choose when trying to attract birds. You can buy feed at any feed store, or even places like Home Depot, or on-line. Just don't feed them chocolate, it does to a bird what it does to a dog, from a substance contained in chocolate called 'theo-bromine' which is toxic to these animals (see more on this at www.birds.cornell.edu .) For a good list of specific feeds that attract specific species of birds go to www.gardensalive.com. The website www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com has a list of ways to discourage certain species from coming to your yard, (i.e. the pigeon).

Birds rely on habitat, and with nature being 'paved over' for progress, the influx of invasive plant species, pollution, and industrialized farming, basic needs like feeding, rest and breeding are being threatened. The Audubon Society, www.audubon.org, provides a 'watch list' for all the species of birds that are currently under the threat of extinction. They also note that it is 'only citizen action that can fuel the changes that will improve the outlook' for watch-listed birds. All in all, feeding birds is something to feel good about. It helps the environment, beautifies your backyard, controls insects and keeps the cycle of nature in balance.